BALTIMORE, Md. (Legal Newsline) – An Arkansas law firm alleges television broadcasting companies conspired to fix advertising prices.
Law Offices of Peter Miller PA filed a class action complaint individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated on July 27 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., Tribune Media Co., Tribune Broadcasting Co. LLC and Does 1-20 alleging violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that the defendants conspired to fix prices for commercials to be aired on broadcast television stations.
"Specifically, instead of competing with each other on price for advertising sales as horizontal competitors typically would, defendants and their co-conspirators shared proprietary information and conspired to fix prices and stifle competition in the market," the suit states.
The plaintiff holds Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., Tribune Media Co., Tribune Broadcasting Co. LLC and Does 1-20 responsible because the defendants allegedly conspired to artificially inflate advertising prices in order to stabilize and grow revenues and manipulated the market for the sale of television advertising.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendants, certify class action, award actual damages, costs, disgorgement, and/or treble damages, interest, costs of suit, attorneys’ fees and expenses, expert fees, and further relief that the court may deem just.
They are represented by Asher Alavi, Joseph H. Meltzer, Kimberly A. Justice, Melissa L. Troutner and Christopher A. Reese of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check LLP in Radnor, Pennsylvania; John C. Goodson and Matt Keil of Keil & Goodson PA in Texarkana, Arkansas; and James E. Cecchi of Carella, Byrne, Cecchi, Olstein, Brody & Agnello PC in Roseland, New Jersey.
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland case number 1:18-cv-02316